Watches NEWS
Interview: Charles Le Menestrel, Owner of Ollech & Wajs, On Keeping A Historical Name Alive
The name might not ring a bell with a broader audience, but it is well-known and highly respected in some collectors’ communities.?A Swiss brand specialising in tool watches, Ollech & Wajs (O&W) was founded in 1956 by Albert Wajs and his friend Joseph Ollech, who formed a partnership and opened a watch shop. At first, they distributed timepieces from Breitling and Omega but eventually decided to establish their own brand, Ollech & Wajs Zurich. They soon agreed that OWZ would specialise in reliable and accurate mechanical watches. In 2017, after more than 60 years at the helm, Albert Wajs passed on O&W to Charles Le Menestrel, who shares his vision to keep the brand’s spirit alive with us.Xavier Markl, MONOCHROME – Charles, thanks for having us. What is your background, and how did you get into watches?Charles Le Menestrel, Ollech & Wajs – I have always been into what would be best-called merchandise transactions, buying and selling large quan
IWC Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month Titanium IW381802 (Specs & Price)
Surprising changes occurred when IWC decided to revamp its iconic Ingenieur collection in 2016. For one, the robust “Genta-esque” case was abandoned and replaced with the original design of the 1960s models. Among the inaugural models were some 3-hand watches and chronographs. And on top of the range was the complex Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month, combining a QP and a flyback chronograph. This watch, available until now only in gold with a white dial, now comes in a new, lighter, more casual version with a grey dial and titanium case under ref. IW381802.The new version that IWC is introducing today is nothing more than an update of colours and materials, as all the specifications and mechanical parts are identical. For this 100-piece limited run of the Titanium ref. IW381802, IWC has opted for a new colour combination, with a sunray brushed slate grey dial echoing the greyish tint of the titanium case. The apertures for the digital QP are white for greater
Special limited edition of 5 Habring2 Split-second chronograph pieces for Horlogerie-Suisse.com - Monochrome Watches
Two and a half years ago, the Swiss watch forum Horlogerie-Suisse.com joined forces with Alpina, to created a limited edition Startimer Pilot Manufacture, which was for sale exclusively through the forum. Now Horlogerie-Suisse.com and Habring2 joined forces and created a numbered limited edition of JUST FIVE PIECES of the Doppel 3 (that we just reviewed for you the other week) with a white dial and blue hands and appliques.? The Doppel 3 with its two prominent positioned chronograph pushers, clearly harks back to the sports timekeepers – hand-held chronographs – of the late 1960’s. Technically the Doppel 3 is a true chronograph-aficionado timepiece, as it’s developed, constructed, finished and assembled by the man who once developed a new construction for the split-second chronograph for IWC. Now the patents have expired, he’s free to build, and moreover improve his old design. The results are the award winning Doppel 2 and the new Doppel 3.The movement, c
Bamford x Badgerworks TAG Heuer Carrera Tropical Coffee Dial
Let’s say that this watch won’t be everybody’s cup of tea… maybe some of you won’t find it brew-tiful… Maybe, this watch will make you feel mugged? Indeed, thanks to these (not-so-profound) puns, you’ll get the point with this watch, which is the rather special result of a collaboration between customizer Bamford Watch Department and luminescent materials specialist Black Badger (a.k.a James Thompson), who wanted to create their own tropical coffee-coloured dial. So they took it literally and created a dial made… of ground coffee.?The base for this new Bamford x Badgerworks piece is nothing new or special, as we’re talking about a relatively accessible and simple TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 5, a well-established sports watch of 41mm with the signature design of the collection and powered by the automatic Calibre 5 – a Sellita SW 220-1 or ETA 2824. However, we’re talking about Bamford Watch Department and Badgerworks, two c
Online Watch Shopping While the Confinement Lasts - Monochrome Watches
Team MONOCHROME is working from home. This is our regular work mode since we’re spread all over Europe (and one in the US), but the way we work has been heavily affected. The closure of manufactures means less access to new watches to photograph and review.? All my trips to watch events/launches to shoot new videos and all my scheduled meetings have been cancelled. As I said last week, we have enough good stuff on its way to offer you plenty of horological relief in between all the daily Corona updates, working from home, home-schooling and so on. There’s a tendency to forget that people celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and maybe even graduations or have other very good reasons to buy a watch in these troublesome times. With many brick and mortar shops closed, we’re giving a big shout-out to our online buddies/competitors/friends of the watch community.?A selection of the cool items available from the MONOCHROME Webshop.Like all our friends/competitors in the onlin